Because I am now dropping my Rock Gym, as a kind of farewell-finale sort of thing, I am now writing a long RMT on my rock gym. If you want to try your skills agianst this team, you can do so, but you will not get a badge for it. It is a long RMT, with a shocking total of 2955 words, but I felt that if I’ve had a team for so long time (since the league was made for the second time) so the RMT and descriptions should be long as well. I actually have had little variations of this gym, so that if I was re-challenged, challengers couldn’t expect the same thing every time.

Despite ist NU status and the fact that it is almost never seen in OU, Kabutops makes for an effective OU lead. In fact, In my own personal experience, I have never seen a kabutops even on a rain team on tiers when SS + drizzle has not ben banned. Stone edge hits powerfully off of Hunter’s 361 attack, and is also STAB’d. It is also very effective in congunjtion with aqua jet, being able to KO frailer leads such as thunderus, infernape, aerodatcyl, Deoxy-s, Ninetales among others. It also gets reasonable coverage with most leads, and can stop ninjask with multiple stone edges and then aqua jet before it can baton pass boosts. Stealth rock is a staple on most OU teams, and rapid spin spins away other entry hazzards while setting up SR. Stealth rock also helps terrakion 0hko rotom-w with close combat, which is astronomicaly useful. Swift Swim is actually a great ability for Kabutops, as Kabutops can 2hko politoed with stone edge or set up stealth rock and hit with stone edge with the helpful speed boost. Kabutops also isn’t bad on the physical side bulk wise—lead tyranitar can only 2hko with earthquake, and the now-rare lead metagross cannot kill with a combination of earthquake and bullet punch. Kabutops wins against almost all leads, with the exception of machamp. I usually outspeed then SR, get hit by dpunch and hang on w/focus sash, then switch to Zapdos. Even though I have listed this first in this RMT because of its lead position, I actually have Tyranitar first in the lead position on team preview and switch the places before the battle.

My wildcard on the gym team, Thunderbird is one of the most instrumental players on the team. Though many would pass the Kanto legend for the speedier and more powerful thunderus, I have never even considered the switch. Zapdos has much more bulk than its mustachioed rival, and an absolutely wonderful recovery in roost. Thunderbird helps me take care of pokemon that would otherwise destroy my team, such as gliscor, skarmory, ferrothorn, excadrill, and scizor and also has a wonderful typing that is immune to the ground, resists grass, steel, and fighting. Gliscor is a large issue, as no my teams is primarily physical, so hp ice is a must to take it out. Hp Ice also has an optional EV spread that has 31 EVs in speed, allowing me to speed tie with other base 100s. Roost is a great move that heals half my health while taking away flying type weaknesses and can help pp stall with the help of pressure. Thunderbolt is for all those annoying jellicent out there, useful when I switch in on a ferro and nail jellicent on the switch and also fries skarmory, who can me a massive annoyance to this team. Heat Wave is one of the selling points of zapdos, hitting ferrothorn, scizor, and Excadrill for massive damage, 0hkoing all. Max special attack helps for the 0hko on Excadrill and the 0hko on gliscor with heat wave and hp ice, respectively. 4 EVs in the defense allow Zapdos to survive excadrill’s rock slide and retaliate, though it is KO’d some of the time in life orb variants. 252 EVs in speed help with the mentioned speed ties, and help zapdos move first to roost before attacked. Leftovers are very useful, as they prevent my health from being chipped away by the sandstorm for tyranitar, and as Zapdos is usually sent out second to counter scizor trying to bullet punch a 1hp sashed Kabutops, actually do provide recovery. An issue is that often, zapdos becomes worn out and at low health early game, when a late-game Excadrill comes in and sweeps my whole team.

In an ordinary battle, Terrence is usually called out third though he is listed as my lead on team preview. The EVs are the standard bandtar set, and with a base 134 attack, adamant and band, Terrence rips holes in the opponent’s team. Stone Edge is standard STAB, able to 0hko many threats after SR. Crunch is secondary STAB, and Superpower has replaced earthquake on the gen 4 smogon set because of the new prevalence of air balloon and air balloon users such as heatran, terrakion, and excadrill on the switch on a predicted crunch. Pursuit is one of the main parts of banded tyranitar, and traps and kills things that Zapdos doesn’t like, as Terrence is the main switch to most of Zapdos’s problems. It takes care of things such as fleeing blissey, chansey, jellicent, and others. Terrence has surprising special bulk in the sandstorm, and can effectively dispatch the Lati Twins, which otherwise give my team a reasonable amount of grief. Tyranitar can also survive an earthquake of some variants of Excadrill and 0hko back with a boosted superpower. Terrrence also helps deal with skarmory, as with a choice band, the standard skarmory is 2hko’d after steath rock. This is helpful as the rest of my team has major issues with the metal bird. One of the best parts of the beast is actually the fact that its appearance brings sandstorm to the field, which racks up residual damage on the opponents, gives a handy special boost to all of my pokemon save one, stops rain and sun teams that commonly use ninetales and politoed as leads dead in their tracks, and gives Aaron the ability to sweep whole teams. Though it effectively doubles Excadrill’s speed, almost all excadrill users have tyranitar as a lead and would have sandstorm activated either way.

The classic trolling aron than makes people pull their hair out. I've had several instances when opponents have ragequit just at the sight of the adorable little critter. Most people have seen this as least once and already know how they work, but I will explain it again for those who do not. The ability Sturdy works like a focus sash. At full health, the pokemon will survive any single hit attack. The idea is that the opponent attacks, leaves you with one hp, and you endeavor, and bring it to your health level, which would be 1 hp if they attacked you, and 12 hp if they did not (you start off with 12 hp because you are Lv.1). Shell bell restores 1/8 of the damage inflicted, and lv.100 pokemon usually have an average of about 300 health. 300/8 is more than 12, you you are restored to full health, when your hp and Sturdy is fully restored. The sandstorm then damages your opponent, dealing 1/12 or so of the opponent’s health. Because most opponents’s health is greater than 12x12, 144, the opponent is fainted by sandstorm. Also, Sandstorm strikes before leftovers or poison heal comes into account. Aerial Ace is an attack that can deal 1hp should the opponent change the weather or be immune to sandstorm, but is always used as a last resort as shell bell will only restore 1 hp, leaving you at 2/12 hp and vunerable to the next attack, but can be useful in last pokemon situations. Roar functions similarly to aerial ace, killing foes as they switch in because of Stealth Rock, and is used on pokemon attempting to set up and things such as gengar getting behind a sub expecting a switch. Protect is to scout for things such as will-o-wisp and helps against fake out users such as mienshao and hitmontop. This needs rapid spin support to work, a reason why it is so important to search for stealth rock and spike users. It is also used as an emergency excadrill check, if Zapdos had died earlier and if Tyranitar was damaged previously, able to defeat it one on one but crippled then on after with 2 hp left. I also can use it as a lead, surprisingly, for bulkier opponents such as bronzong, as it can’t be hit by SR if it hasn’t been set up at the beginning of the game. I usually use endeavor first if used as a lead, then switch to hunter and aqua jet the opponent then rapid spin away any entry hazzard. This is actually surprisingly effective and has worked on a large amount of opponents.

Though Aerodactyl has fallen from grace since being one of the more used pokemon in OU, it still can work well. Its great 394 speeed allows it to outspeed everything bar Deoxys-s, Ninjask, Electrode and Accelegor, few of which are seen outside the lead position, and tie with Jolteon and Crobat. Because of this, it can function as a revenge killer and stallbreaker. Taunt allows it to beat skarmory head to head, slowing chipping away at its health while it is forced to brave bird or switch out, the damage being easily roosted off. Roost removes the flying weaknesses and pp stalls, like Zapdos, as well as healing Life Orb recoil. In the sandstorm, Dartz gets surprising special bulk, and is able to stall away many ice beams. Stone Edge its wonderfuly hard, and Earthquake assists stone edge beautifully, both becoming very powerful with the Life Orb attacked. Although Dartz doesn’t attack anything specific, he generally works, and I’ve never wanted to replace him.

Standard Scarfer Terrakion, used as a revenge killer. Demos is extremely effective, and often sweeps late game or plays mind games with alongside aron with the opponent. X-scissor is coverage against psychics, notably the Lati twins, and Earthquake and Stone Edge form the tried and true EdgeQuake combo. With 252 EVs in attack and an Adamant nature, Demos reaches a sky-high 392 attack and is able to smash through nearly anything with Close Combat, especially with Stealth Rock on the field. Stone Edge is secondary STAB and helps take care of flyers such as Gyarados and Dragonite, and has helped me many times against volcarona. Volcarona likes to come in on tyranitar locked into pursuit, and whenever a situation like that occurs when I am forced to switch, Volcarona will get in a quiver dance. Terrakion with choice scarf attached can then outspeed and 0hko easily with stone edge, even without SR on the field. Demos also handles Ferrothorn, a major menace, and can revenge kill foe Terrakion which can actually hit every member of my team at least 2x super effectively with its STABs. Starmie is another problem, and with creative switching from zapdos, can come in on ice beam and kill starmie with X-scissor.

Excadrill – This thing can sweep my whole team, especially if it gets a lucky flinch or crit on zappy, and can pretty much sweep my whole team with SR and a life orb attached, which gets rid of Aron’s focus sash and Thunderbird’s ability to take a rock slide. Earthquake hits almost all of my members with incredible strength.

Starmie – Life orb variations trouble me most, as they outspeed all but terrakion and do massive damage to my entie team. Zapdos can take them if at high health, but not without losing sigificant damage and leaving the team suceptible to another threat, so I have to rely on creative switching to get the opponent to aim an ice beam at terrakion, before outspeeding and using X-scissor.

Rotom – W – Rotom is one of the trials in my life. Hydro pump is awful for my team, and will-o-wisp cripples all of my members but one. I usually have to have thunderbird come in on it after a KO, as Thunderbird can’t take three hydro pumps in a row, and 2hko with thunderbolt. Choice versions and ones with volt switch make life even more difficult. Luckily, it is defeated by the aron strategy, but unfortunetely, it can hit me with will-o-wisp and stop aron there.

Gliscor – A physical wall, I have issues with all of my physical attackers though Dartz can actually beat it one on one, and Aron shoot its health down before switching out to Zapdos. Not as great of a problem as Starmie and Excadrill, but a problem nevertheless. Zapdos outspeeds all variations and 0hkos them all with HP ice as well.

Terrakion – Terrakion can be an issue, especially if it is scarfed. It can hit every single member of my team for at least for 2x damage with its STABs alone. Choice scarf versions really kill me, as I can only hope that my terrakion beats it in a speed tie and shoots it down with close combat before it can bulldoze half my team over. Aron can handle it in an emergency situation, but I usually try to predict which lethal STAB its about to use and force it to switch until it is the last pokemon standing. Extremely high threat, but is listed after gliscor because I have to face it less often.

Scizor – I have problems with this if Zapdos is dead, though aron can emergency handle it as well. Usually, it comes out early game, sets up a swords dance, and gets owned by zappy. Not as much of an issue as the above pokemon, but can give me grief after too many boosts.

Skarmory – Skarm likes to come in on most of my pokemon, spike, and the whirlwind them away. However, Zapdos switches in quickly on this, so it usually can only get in a layer of spikes before being forced out or fainting. It’s not a fearsome attacker and none of my pokemon care for getting phazed, so its more of an annoyance than a threat. However, because this usually comes in late-game, it can sometimes prevent aron from sweeping with endewavor or even being able to use the move once.

Gengar – Gengar can be an issue, but only if it gets a free sub, and zapdos, Dartz, and Demos can handle it. Thunderbird is the most reliable of the two, as it can switch between the two and not be trapped by detect. Dartz has an issue if gengar is behind the sub when he comes in, but he can outspeed, hit with Stone edge, and survive a shot with shadow ball fine with the special defense boost from sandstorm, and taunt the disable. Demos can outspeed with the scarf and 0hko with stone edge.

Latios – Latios isn’t usually a problem because of the special defense boost my team gets and scarfed Terrakion, but can hit hard and leave holes in my team. Latios expects to outspeed Demos but is surprised when he gets cut apart with X-scissor and is trapped and killed by Terrence with pursuit.

Vaporeon – Vaporeon can give me issues with the wish support it gives its allies, but powerful attacks tear it down, and with sandstorm support, it really can’t do that much to hurt the team. I usually call in Dartz or Thunderbird and taunt/thunderbolt, then attack again, and soon enough, its dead. Not too much of an issue, but it can heal a teammate that can give me more problems.

Jellicent – Jellicent can be a problem if it gets a will-o-wisp in, but is otherwise handled by Zapdos and other pokemon fairly easily. Tyranitar can also crunch its pringle faced in and high powered moves simply kill it. Also, the low EVs put into SpA and the sandstorm boost allow Dartz to taunt and then slowly stone edge it down. Though it isn’t affected by Aron, I haven’t had too many issues with it yet.

Ferrothorn – Though ferrothorn’s grass/steel typing tells someone intuitively that it’d tear a mono-rock team apart, it’s really not the case. The only pokemon on the team that really has a problem with Ferro is really dartz, and switching to Zapdos is really easy, as ferro can do absolutely nothing but get fried in the face of the fierce thunderbird. Leech seed is an annoyance, but nothing else, really.

I surprisingly read the whole thing . Very nice Epic , I can't say much about your former rock team because it's basically flawless . All I can say is that I didn't have much trouble with aron because I had that bullet seed.

I had it for special walls, and I do run hp grass sometimes on it, as shell smash doubles attack as well. You don't know how many blissyes switch in, only to be 2hko'd by waterfall, and with no special wall, SWEEPTIME. But HP grass (not elec) has been usefull in clearing quags and 'doons that switch in as well as the occasional swampert.

I swear I'll start carrying a Jaboca berry if that Aaron set becomes too over used. Jaboca berry deals damage everytime a physical attack lands, so Aaron would die much before being able to recover from its Bell.

Also since Excadrill is Uber now what move set would you recomed for Sandslash with sand rush, Plus ed insteal of that i have a pretty thing lvl 2 probopass, if they have entry hazards then i can protect get my lefties, so i get sturdy then pain split there team